In high-pressure fluid jet nozzles, and more particularly in an orifice jet nozzle assembly for waterjet cutting systems, the proper alignment of the orifice insert that forms the water stream is essential to proper function and accurate cutting. The orifice insert must also be replaced at frequent intervals. The process of orifice insert installation and alignment takes time and cannot be done by machine operators under field conditions. It would be advantageous to provide a waterjet assembly which has a design that allows for easy installation and alignment of orifices by operating waterjet system personnel.
Furthermore, all prior art waterjet systems known to me provide only for a single orifice per nozzle. It would be advantageous to provide a waterjet assembly which has a design that allows for multiple orifices from a single nozzle, to thus allow multiple waterjets from a single nozzle.
Also, it would be desirable to be able to quickly and easily adjust the flow pattern of a waterjet as may be most desirable for a particular job at hand. For example, a very narrow, coherent, collimated waterjet stream is desirable for water only cutting or cleaning use, whereas a spreading, slightly decollimating waterjet may be useful when cutting using abrasives, for example. In cutting applications, undesirable spreading of the waterjet increases the width of the kerf in the workpiece, and in some applications, may result in undesirable exposure of adjacent surfaces to the waterjet.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and a convenient method of employing such apparatus that (a) would allow easy replacement and alignment of orifices by field personnel, (b) would allow easy adjustment of the flow pattern provided in a waterjet device, and (c) would allow multiple orifices to be utilized in a single nozzle.